e Catholic Faith and holy Church.
This sacred oath was present to your mind when you employed
your noble power and your person in the taking of the woman
who calleth herself the Maid, by whom the glory of God hath
been infinitely offended, the Faith deeply wounded and the
Church greatly dishonoured: for through her there have
arisen in this kingdom, idolatries, errors, false doctrines
and other evils and misfortunes without end. And in truth
all loyal Christians must give unto you hearty thanks for
having rendered so great service to our holy Faith and to
all the kingdom. As for us, we thank God with all our
hearts, and you we thank for your noble prowess as
affectionately as we may. But such a capture alone would be
but a small thing were it not followed by a worthy issue
whereby this woman may answer for the offences she hath
committed against our merciful Creator, his faith and his
holy Church, as well as for her other evil deeds which are
said to be without number. The mischief would be greater
than ever, the people would be wrapped in yet grosser error
than before and his Divine Majesty too insufferably
offended, if matters continued in their present state, or if
it befell that this woman were delivered or retaken, as we
are told, is wished, plotted and endeavoured by divers of
our enemies, by all secret ways and by what is even worse by
bribe or by ransom. But it is our hope that God will not
permit so great an evil to betide his people, and that your
great and high wisdom will not suffer it so to befall but
will provide against it as becometh your nobility.

For if without the retribution that behoveth she were to be
delivered, irreparable would be the dishonour which should
fall on your great nobility and on all those who have dealt
in this matter. But your good and noble wisdom will know how
to devise means whereby such scandal shall cease as soon as
may be, whereof there is great need. And because all delay
in this matter is very perilous and very injurious to this
kingdom, very kindly and with a cordial affection do we
beseech your powerful and honoured nobility to grant that
for the glory of God, for the maintenance of the Holy
Catholic Faith, for the good and honour of the kingdom, this
woman be delivered up to j